Episode 121 · Friday, 3 April 2026

EP - 121 | 😂🤩RAW TALKS IS BACKKK AGAINN WITH SUPERRR FUNNN‼️ Ft Adivi Sesh | Telugu Podcast | Raw Talks With VK

By Raw Talks With Vamshi Kurapati - Telugu Business Podcast | 1h 39m listen | 46 chapters
EP - 121 | 😂🤩RAW TALKS IS BACKKK AGAINN WITH SUPERRR FUNNN‼️ Ft Adivi Sesh | Telugu Podcast | Raw Talks With VK cover
Raw Talks With Vamshi Kurapati - Telugu Business Podcast · No. 121

About this episode

Adivi Sesh pulls up a chair with VK for one of the most candid and unfiltered podcast conversations about his journey, his craft, and the making of some of Telugu cinema's most iconic films.Sesh and VK dig into his new action thriller Dacoit starring Mrunal Thakur and Anurag Kashyap — what it took to shoot the film simultaneously in Telugu and Hindi, and how he blended a Telugu soul with sharp, American-style editing. Sesh also takes us behind the scenes of Kshanam, reflects on working with SS Rajamouli on Baahubali, and opens up about the highly anticipated Goodachari 2 (G2).From growing up in California to carving his own space in Tollywood, Sesh gets raw and real about filmmaking on shoestring budgets, using personal favors to get films made, the revenue model of Indian cinema, and the sheer madness of editing films on set while still shooting.They also get into the power of silence in storytelling, the big debate on whether acting is a natural talent or a learned skill, and Sesh's thoughts on fame, animal rights, and why art is not a race.Whether you're an aspiring actor, filmmaker, Telugu cinema fan, or someone who loves honest conversations about the creative life — this one's for you.


CHAPTER 01 / 46 Discussion

Low Budget Filmmaking and Script Selection

The speaker discusses low-budget filmmaking strategies, including leveraging personal credibility and actor connections, and shares anecdotes about script selection and industry interactions.

low budget· filmmaking· script selection· Telugu cinema· industry anecdotes

00:00 Many people have comfort foods, but we have comfort movies and scenes. Manmathudu... Yes! I mean, first she loved me then I loved her. Get ready for the action adventure of a lifetime. Lakshmi Ganapathi Films. Deck Hyde. A Love Story Hey, back in the day... What's your beauty regimen? How did you crack this low budget high box office? I made a movie for 1 crore. But the value is a 10 crore film! Because of actor Sumanth's call. Bro, A.N.R. has brand new Benz.

00:35 I put my personal credibility on the line and drove this car. So, this is called low cost high box office enroute. Chakir Enroute! It was a small argument about getting into a club among kids. He took out his gun and shot me. I got into a fight with him for 15 minutes I was out. Even though i lived in the US, there was always a... There is more to me than what you see in movies. If I announce a movie today, producer, theatrical rights, OTT rights, audio rights overseas rights will be sold. Maybe 150 people live in India. Out of 150 crore people, 150 people would have been there. In between all this, why should I think if I am in 1 or 10 or 30? Say script selection bomb

01:21 What the crap is script selection, dude? If it's like 25 scripts... That's not happening. I met him at my producer's birthday. Suresh when are you making a film as big as mine? I thought he was saying something about his mother and her brain. We were having tea with four guys. He said, bro, that time heroine talks. He made this dialogue. The dialogue wasn't of the hero but of the writer. Listen to what we say! Jonathan Gandhi and Nuna Zakir also coming to the shoot. Guys, in our Raw Talks we always strive to do something different in the Telugu content space. For that we would need your support. Support is nothing but please do subscribe and 2 double check if you have subscribed or not. Bro hi! Bro Hi! I liked what you said on call yesterday. Hey why did it light up like this? You guys are all high tech.

CHAPTER 02 / 46 Discussion

Kshanam Movie Shoot and Allu Arjun

The speaker recounts shooting the movie Kshanam with a small budget and a limited crew, including an interaction with Allu Arjun who stopped by the set and caused a traffic jam.

Kshanam· Allu Arjun· movie shoot· budget· action choreographer

01:21 What the crap is script selection, dude? If it's like 25 scripts... That's not happening. I met him at my producer's birthday. Suresh when are you making a film as big as mine? I thought he was saying something about his mother and her brain. We were having tea with four guys. He said, bro, that time heroine talks. He made this dialogue. The dialogue wasn't of the hero but of the writer. Listen to what we say! Jonathan Gandhi and Nuna Zakir also coming to the shoot. Guys, in our Raw Talks we always strive to do something different in the Telugu content space. For that we would need your support. Support is nothing but please do subscribe and 2 double check if you have subscribed or not. Bro hi! Bro Hi! I liked what you said on call yesterday. Hey why did it light up like this? You guys are all high tech.

02:45 Is it a movie called Kshanam? I think so. The first scene was shot near Allu Arjun's house. What happened there? It is Kshanam, right? So PVP's house is in that area. And on the road nearby... A small girl... There... A police uncle liked my performance in Punjab. He said, Uncle please sit here for some time. I agreed and watched it for 2 hours. We were shooting. Ada Sharma... You know, one character is supposed to be beating her up. And we were shooting Kshanam at a time at a 1 crore budget Today I have 100 crore budget But that was at the 1 crore budget So I am the action choreographer So I'm explaining to two African Nigerian actors who don't speak English very well but understand Old City Hindi somewhat

03:41 So, I'm speaking in Hindi-Telugu and English mixed for them. And they're like... But I'll hurt her! No no no don't worry, don't worry. That's why you didn't hit me right? So this discussion happened on a road. Suddenly Bunny's car stops. Sesh, what are you doing here? Shoot? Rehearsal? No shoot. You will come home. No no no, you go carry on. What is my fear? The police uncle was watching. There was a traffic jam. Bunny is giving me respect. I told him, you have to take this shot when you leave or else the police will catch us. That's my problem. And Bunny just shocked like what? Where is the crew actually? We were only 7 people. So that was how we shot it. Actually these fights… You also said that they couldn't rent Annapurna Studios and took the school for themselves and created some fight. Yeah, in Gudachal, Trinetra headquarters, that is the Annapurna School

CHAPTER 03 / 46 Discussion

Low Budget Film Shoots in Schools

The speaker details how they filmed fight scenes for a movie in a school on Sundays, transforming classrooms into sets and restoring them before Monday classes to save money.

film shoot· low budget· school· cost cutting· Annapurna Studios· Gudachari

03:41 So, I'm speaking in Hindi-Telugu and English mixed for them. And they're like... But I'll hurt her! No no no don't worry, don't worry. That's why you didn't hit me right? So this discussion happened on a road. Suddenly Bunny's car stops. Sesh, what are you doing here? Shoot? Rehearsal? No shoot. You will come home. No no no, you go carry on. What is my fear? The police uncle was watching. There was a traffic jam. Bunny is giving me respect. I told him, you have to take this shot when you leave or else the police will catch us. That's my problem. And Bunny just shocked like what? Where is the crew actually? We were only 7 people. So that was how we shot it. Actually these fights… You also said that they couldn't rent Annapurna Studios and took the school for themselves and created some fight. Yeah, in Gudachal, Trinetra headquarters, that is the Annapurna School

04:39 campus classrooms. Okay! So, they have classes six days a week and we surely cannot afford to build a set because 1 crore per hour means Gudachari was 4.25 crores. Everyone says 6 crores but the 175 is for marketing. Actually I have 6 crores. The 175 is for marketing. We shot in 4.25. And... You can't even build a building now? So.. so.. Not then also. That's it actually. So we Every Sunday, we get to shoot in this very nice building. Okay! Every Saturday night 9 am, we start the art. Painting? Not painting, lots of props and complete high-end spy establishment. In school? Yes, in school. By Sunday 7am

05:30 8am to 9pm. Because you have to shoot extra call sheets, one day is enough for a 15 days shoot. So after 9 pm, we have to repaint it again to make it the same classroom. We need to remove all props And there are a lot of hanging things. We can't make up for that. Right! We replaced all those and decorated everything, Monday morning at 10 am, we would have gone out by 9.58 pm. Class started at 10 am. Because you were getting ready in school. You got it? That was good, Acharya. But definitely if you talk about your cost cutting patterns... Because as you said, 6 crores is 6.5 crore, I thought it's reasonable. For a 4 point change

06:18 How did you crack this low budget, high box office pattern? It wasn't bro. I mean it's glamorous to say that right! Actually, say script selection bounds What the crap is script selection, dude? If it's like 25 scripts... That's not happening bro. You know, I'm struggling to think of a story on these walls and there are no stories coming out. And people don't realize that you have to pay for a film somehow. With money, time or effort

CHAPTER 04 / 46 Discussion

Filmmaking Constraints: Time, Effort, Money

The speaker discusses the realities of filmmaking, emphasizing the need for time, effort, and money to create a quality film, and shares an anecdote about using actor Sumanth's car in a movie to enhance its production value.

filmmaking· budget· time· effort· production value· Sumanth· Kshanam

06:18 How did you crack this low budget, high box office pattern? It wasn't bro. I mean it's glamorous to say that right! Actually, say script selection bounds What the crap is script selection, dude? If it's like 25 scripts... That's not happening bro. You know, I'm struggling to think of a story on these walls and there are no stories coming out. And people don't realize that you have to pay for a film somehow. With money, time or effort

07:02 To make a good movie, you need time and effort. If you don't have time, it's expensive to put in the effort. If not, it takes longer and costs more money. If you don't put effort, it takes a lot of time and money. So if I make good movies, there are definitely two out of three. And what people don't realize is that I made a movie in one crore. But the value is a 10 crore film. Correct! Because when I called actor Sumanth, Bro, A&R has brand new Benz. It was his favorite car

07:44 Can I use it as Adashar Maskar in Kshanam? The same scene that Bunny stopped. That white Benz belongs to Sumanth and A N R Garu. So, bro please let me borrow it." Now okay... At that time you're probably renting a Mercedes Benz for 25000 rupees a day the driver, the Bhakta. That whole thing will cost you 40-50 thousand. We had it for five days. That's two lakhs right? Who is this 2 lakh guy? So, I put my personal credibility on the line and bought this car.

CHAPTER 05 / 46 Discussion

Personal Investment and Film Success

The speaker discusses putting personal credibility and finances on the line for a film, prioritizing the film's success over personal gain, and the eventual realization of their own importance in the film's success.

film· investment· credibility· success· sacrifice

07:44 Can I use it as Adashar Maskar in Kshanam? The same scene that Bunny stopped. That white Benz belongs to Sumanth and A N R Garu. So, bro please let me borrow it." Now okay... At that time you're probably renting a Mercedes Benz for 25000 rupees a day the driver, the Bhakta. That whole thing will cost you 40-50 thousand. We had it for five days. That's two lakhs right? Who is this 2 lakh guy? So, I put my personal credibility on the line and bought this car.

08:29 Low cost, high box office Anru. They call me Chakir. It comes from emotional investment. I care and often find that many actors and actresses and directors and producers... It's not that they don't love films. But if I have to pick between myself and the film, I pick myself. For me, I always pick the film ahead of myself I remember, at that moment... we were on the stage. Photographers asked us to come in the center and take a picture of them. They said, you are the hero for this film and your stage should be in the center. So, even after my movie became a hit, I didn't realize that I was the center of attraction for it. It took me 10 years to realize that I am also important.

09:30 Did you become a hero? I am the face of cinema. I represent it. Maybe, that thought should have been there earlier. But if it was there, would this film quality be there? So what I try to do now is find that balance. We are trying many interesting things for Dekhoid. A dance, seeing and doing is not new to Telugu audiences If you turn on the TV, you'll get these guys. D juniors and all that. So what is it? Me having fun is the new thing. And we tried to do something... Why just get one... It's not about a hot girl. Why not get a beautiful woman who sang the song and danced the song? That was new. She would sing better than this. That's Jonitha!

CHAPTER 06 / 46 Discussion

Dekhoid Song Production: Singer Selection Process

The speaker discusses the process of selecting singers for the Dekhoid song, highlighting the decision to include Jonitha and Pavan Singh to bring unique elements to the track.

Dekhoid· Jonitha· Pavan Singh· song production· Telugu audiences

09:30 Did you become a hero? I am the face of cinema. I represent it. Maybe, that thought should have been there earlier. But if it was there, would this film quality be there? So what I try to do now is find that balance. We are trying many interesting things for Dekhoid. A dance, seeing and doing is not new to Telugu audiences If you turn on the TV, you'll get these guys. D juniors and all that. So what is it? Me having fun is the new thing. And we tried to do something... Why just get one... It's not about a hot girl. Why not get a beautiful woman who sang the song and danced the song? That was new. She would sing better than this. That's Jonitha!

10:23 And then we said, you know... This song has a small UP vibe. When Bheem heard it for the first time, he got that small UP vibe. UP, Haryana, that small heartland vibe. Who is the big singer there? Pavan Singh. Okay, let's call Pavan Singh. Took six months to reach him. I told him the story with this same mindset. He listened to it and said, it's good but why are we doing it? I told him that's the story and within 3 minutes he was shaken by the story. Crazy! There is no connection between the story and him. So you're bringing in Pawan Singh, you're bringing in Jonitha, I'm dancing...

11:11 That's the... We discussed this earlier, right? We did all of these. Tell me a new matter. Right! New masala. And generally many people have comfort foods and places to be comfortable in their life. You have scenes like comfort movies. Manmathudu… Yes, Manmathudu. I am mouthing my dialogues wherever you say it from. Generally she loved him first and then he came to love her. The entire Paris segment will be great. She also watches Salavai Kutthapuram, right? First 45 minutes. I think Alavai Kondapuram is probably the... How do i say Manakki manmadhudu? Gen Alpha it will be that. They'll be like, we got a movie when they were kids and we had movies in our time. That kind of film for them in Alavai kondapuram. And I think its an extraordinary commercial film People don't realize how tough it is to make one of those Because if you go a little bit this way

CHAPTER 07 / 46 Discussion

Defining Commercial Film and Storytelling Innovation

The speaker discusses the challenges of commercial filmmaking, questioning the traditional formulaic approach and emphasizing the need for innovative storytelling to capture audience attention, using examples from their work.

commercial film· storytelling· innovation· audience· emotions

11:11 That's the... We discussed this earlier, right? We did all of these. Tell me a new matter. Right! New masala. And generally many people have comfort foods and places to be comfortable in their life. You have scenes like comfort movies. Manmathudu… Yes, Manmathudu. I am mouthing my dialogues wherever you say it from. Generally she loved him first and then he came to love her. The entire Paris segment will be great. She also watches Salavai Kutthapuram, right? First 45 minutes. I think Alavai Kondapuram is probably the... How do i say Manakki manmadhudu? Gen Alpha it will be that. They'll be like, we got a movie when they were kids and we had movies in our time. That kind of film for them in Alavai kondapuram. And I think its an extraordinary commercial film People don't realize how tough it is to make one of those Because if you go a little bit this way

12:07 They say, this is a home made film. After some time they'll go, what a film! But the difference between these two is only 10%. Commercial films nowadays. So you have to be very careful. Do you believe in this commercial format? Like how many songs are needed for each person and so on... I don't think anybody believes that anymore. Not filmmakers not actors not audiences. That's no more a concept. Because in those numbers Durandhar is commercial. In Durandhar 1 there was a dance song. It was fully covered. Then isn't it commercial or not? So, I think commercial in my mind, if you really get down. What is commercial? It's more of a selling. Right! So to make people stop, whatever we can do... Like with Decoyed what we try to do is We try to take classical ideas Love story Ex-love 13 years ago He was in jail and he was raging Tell me the new way that you capture it Why would a girl drift with an ambulance

13:08 It's a new thing, right? Why are two ambulances crashing on the bridge like a bullet? Something. Why did they find it out? I feel we were trying to find... ...a new way of telling emotions that are universal. Right! And I wanted to ask you how much of network plays a role in building your career maybe 0-1 Bro, that plays a role everywhere. Especially in India. Dude! Our country is like this. A farmer's son becomes a farmer. A doctor's son becomes a doctor. And so when you come into a situation where the network is already existing... That privilege is extraordinary. Oh sure. Yeah. And I was quite privileged. Let us think about it. I came from US to enter the film industry

CHAPTER 08 / 46 Discussion

Family History and Film Industry Entry

The speaker discusses their family's history in the film industry, including an uncle who worked for Dasanaran and a cousin who is a director, and how their upbringing influenced their own path into the industry.

film industry· family· privilege· direction· acting

14:12 If I don't have a good time, then I'll go back to the US. I can earn six figure salary there. How privileged am I? So no matter how much outside of business I come from, I came with a lot of privilege. And I feel... And your family members are also in the movie industry, right? Yeah. My uncle was first. Rangaravu uncle. He worked for Dasanaran. But he had a heart attack during his 80s. And after that there is this small feeling in my family. Movies aren't good for us. There will be those three beliefs. So me and...

14:47 My uncle's son, Kiran brother. We both decided to go into the main film separately. Acting? Yes, direction. So his journey was mine and my own. And Kiran brother is a village Vinayak. He directed all these films with care. Nice recent movies actually. It's good. And he was the one who... At first I didn't even know my mother-in-law's name. She said curry point and stayed here. Oh, that range. I wanted to explain from there itself! So this is our TV. This is a very popular channel. Where were you then? Manikonda. Did you think it was Krishnan's letter? No but actually I would say... When Krishnan's population saturation is complete, next... Yeah yeah, he'll be there when you come. Right. So Manikonda was brand new. There weren't even roads back then. Only mud roads.

15:37 So, I think he showed me the way. First one or two years we were together and after that we had very different journeys. So when I think about it, when I talk to a producer or an actor... Either by looking at my height or the way I talk, or by looking at my natural American accent in English. They will have a default feeling that I gave him coffee and spoke respectfully to him. My parents gave me this privilege. So that was the network. Well said actually! Everybody in India has a certain degree of network. If someone stops you on traffic, he'll say, who is your father? India's a country built on

CHAPTER 09 / 46 Discussion

Indian Networks: Utility and Middlemen

The segment discusses the pervasive nature of networks in India, both for beneficial connections and potentially corrupt practices, highlighting the role of middlemen in various processes.

network· India· middlemen· corruption· connections

15:37 So, I think he showed me the way. First one or two years we were together and after that we had very different journeys. So when I think about it, when I talk to a producer or an actor... Either by looking at my height or the way I talk, or by looking at my natural American accent in English. They will have a default feeling that I gave him coffee and spoke respectfully to him. My parents gave me this privilege. So that was the network. Well said actually! Everybody in India has a certain degree of network. If someone stops you on traffic, he'll say, who is your father? India's a country built on

16:22 I did a video 5 years back when i started my content creation journey I was talking about network as net worth. As you said, in India we have many networks. But some people use the network to get away with police arresting them. Or for Pavan Kalyan's movie, they do it on the first day of a show. There are such things. But what else is network? We should understand that. It doesn't mean having numbers or saying hi and then remembering us. Also, India has those unexplained middlemen. They are so important, bro! We don't get an apartment anywhere in the registration office or RTO. First of all, bastards don't give apartments for rent. They are the real power of India. Those middlemen and middlewomen who are there, they are the real power of India. Let's see what happens then, you idiot! Don't worry. How was this transfer? I think I asked Siddhu too. Yeah, I've asked him

CHAPTER 11 / 46 Discussion

Realization of Self-Awareness and Digital Footprint

The speaker reflects on a past lack of self-awareness and the importance of managing one's digital footprint, highlighting how opinions and statements can be misinterpreted or used against someone over time due to the internet's permanence.

self-awareness· digital footprint· opinions· internet· hypocrisy

17:24 Not just fan base, but recognition. Because of this recognition stage... you have to set some boundaries. You have to add a manager in the process or start a decorum. Or if there are no talks, open remunerations or negotiations and dates can't be discussed. How was the adaptation of this transformation? Luckily I was so busy focused on the movie that I didn't think about myself much. Who took care of you in the beginning? No one. And even if someone did, it was a good... Push for tech! Not much but the point is that not much at the start was also very big to me. At what time? During Panchayat. I didn't care for it much so I don't remember it as well. I wasn't the type who used to think about myself all the time

18:24 Sometimes, someone would ask me what is the secret to your beauty? My mother. So it's like that. How much did you do manufacturing? No seriously most of it I'm very lazy. I don't have a lot of work. Unless movie like major or movie like that particular physical transformation itself I've done. So... You know I wasn't thinking about myself much but then I realized It matters And I realized it late. So, what I saw in that realization was better to talk less. Because when the camera was off earlier and we were talking

19:09 The internet never forgets. Right? Very true, digital footprint right? Digital footprint but also what people think because of that is... If we have an opinion 10 years back, the same opinion will be there even after 10 years and it gets fixed. Exactly! So today for example if I say something about, I really enjoyed skydiving. I gave you this example. Ten years ago he said his skydiving was a fear. What's with him? He's such a big hypocrite. That one falls on top of another. Yeah. So I just feel like, dude why does he need to go through ten years journey? He would have had so many experiences. Absolutely! It would have changed a lot in his mind and heart. For us, as they say life can change in a second. Exactly yeah So people don't realize that the opportunity to change your mind for some reason is not permissible on internet. Because of that I became silent. Like

CHAPTER 12 / 46 Discussion

Changing Perspectives and Online Discourse

The speaker discusses how experiences can change one's perspective, particularly regarding violence and aggression, and how the internet often stifles the opportunity for people to change their minds, leading to selective silence on certain topics.

pacifism· violence· online discourse· perspective· Ahimsa

19:09 The internet never forgets. Right? Very true, digital footprint right? Digital footprint but also what people think because of that is... If we have an opinion 10 years back, the same opinion will be there even after 10 years and it gets fixed. Exactly! So today for example if I say something about, I really enjoyed skydiving. I gave you this example. Ten years ago he said his skydiving was a fear. What's with him? He's such a big hypocrite. That one falls on top of another. Yeah. So I just feel like, dude why does he need to go through ten years journey? He would have had so many experiences. Absolutely! It would have changed a lot in his mind and heart. For us, as they say life can change in a second. Exactly yeah So people don't realize that the opportunity to change your mind for some reason is not permissible on internet. Because of that I became silent. Like

20:05 very against war, very against violence. Aggression and all? Even from the beginning? From the beginning also I am a pacifist and you know, I believe in Ahimsa. And I didn't like it when US attacked suddenly. It didn't feel right. And I feel that what happened with that elementary school 167 girls, small kids Old people and animals, the most vulnerable creatures in this world. So I don't talk about anything other than these three. And that is a learned behavior because I realized if there are two people who lose it, 10 will scold them. 100%. And again when can I hide behind this?

20:57 When my face, identity and life is not known to that celebrity. I will wear it. No makes sense. Like you said... See.. I still remember 8 years back 7 years back before starting a business. I was very aggressive. Very fast. There were situations like hitting Indira Gowon on her head. Driving super fast. I used to get angry very fast. With time, everything changes. Even when you said that you had an injury, I would ask you with greater responsibility or... I was going to say the Spiderman quote. Yes! The responsibility is a bit of fear and safety or stop thinking for some time, patience all these are add-ons. Parallels keep getting drawn

CHAPTER 13 / 46 Discussion

Animal Love, Road Rage, and Self-Control

The speaker discusses Unnikrishnan sir's love for animals, which inspired him, and recounts a road rage incident where he almost physically assaulted someone after being provoked, highlighting his aggressive tendencies when feeling threatened.

animals· road rage· aggression· self-control· Unnikrishnan sir

21:46 So, this change is something that many people can't bear. Some may be shocked and wonder how a person could have changed so much. As you said, transformation is very inevitable We cannot stop it or hide from it But with time, in one year or half a year, even in two years or one day, we can change. Even after making new attempts, because of the major, I felt very nice. I gave an interview recently When you were talking about it You observed it in Unnikrishnan sir. His love for animals, your observation is different! That's what I liked a lot because of that you and your twitter... Yeah and almost got rusticated from National Defence Academy because he was hiding puppies under his bed that he rescued without telling the COK. So definitely he was a great animal lover and maybe because of that only I started like today

22:44 I have a chip. If that chip is lost, then I get vicious. Like... I'm not afraid of physical fight. I'll fight back and it happened after Covid-19 in the major time itself Standing outside my home, on the road. And... The dealership sent a car to test drive it. I was looking at it and talking about how it is. No doubt there's someone standing in the middle of the road. He came out of his car. Okay! When he saw that the car was coming towards him, he started honking loudly. I said, ''I'm moving.'' Then he lowered his glass

23:34 In the English booth, just because you're a goddamn actor, they think you are God. It's a structured effort. I don't know what happened. I went up to the car and opened it. He started holding onto that door. He got out of the car. He was very scared and left me there. When he got up... I had this feeling that I would be the one who hit him now. He is less than me in that sense. But then he said something about family. He said something about family and left. And he got in his car and left. Do you have that angle? Yes, I do. I've been shot at in the US. That's a crazy story. So we had to defend ourselves. You were in your school sir? In my school yeah. 10th or 11th grade

CHAPTER 14 / 46 Discussion

Addressing Criticism and Online Opinions

The speakers discuss how they handle criticism and negative opinions, particularly those found online, and question the sincerity of those who post anonymously.

criticism· online opinions· reddit· social media· anonymity

25:21 If it touches, I don't care. And funny thing is... Even if a small video game zombie knows that this is happening, his hand won't stop. Like I can watch it happen. I don't lose control of myself. I know its happening Now, since this angle is open, I'll ask a question. I hit you guys! Don't worry. No no... Actually, generally Reddit doesn't follow. But recently there are some different perspectives on it. I stay away from Reddit. You keep it far? I saw one of them. Wow! Did you scold me? Not scolded but there are different opinions right? Yes, I know. Some people may be hip... You're not soft because the camera's here. No no.. I'm telling openly. So sir, we will put aside when people see something good in general and talk about bad things.

26:09 He plays a safe game, he holds on to the lines. If you focus on patriotism it's an easy market. I've seen only 4 of these. I haven't read much more. I'm already getting the gist so let me leave this. How do you respond to such opinions? First of all, how will you respond? Social media? No, not at all. I also believe that if I sit in front of him then he won't say anything. Actually, yeah. So that means he doesn't mean it and even if he means it He doesn't mean enough to come and say it to me. Hmm...He means it to put it as a post so he's fishing for retweets and comments 99% of the people here must have DPSO names. So, let's leave that aside I think the bigger thing is he also entitled to his opinion

CHAPTER 15 / 46 Discussion

Patriotism, Film, and Cultural Identity

The speaker discusses the film 'Major' in the context of Telugu cinema, patriotism, and cultural identity, questioning assumptions about audience connection and regionalism within India.

patriotism· Telugu cinema· Major· cultural identity· regionalism

26:09 He plays a safe game, he holds on to the lines. If you focus on patriotism it's an easy market. I've seen only 4 of these. I haven't read much more. I'm already getting the gist so let me leave this. How do you respond to such opinions? First of all, how will you respond? Social media? No, not at all. I also believe that if I sit in front of him then he won't say anything. Actually, yeah. So that means he doesn't mean it and even if he means it He doesn't mean enough to come and say it to me. Hmm...He means it to put it as a post so he's fishing for retweets and comments 99% of the people here must have DPSO names. So, let's leave that aside I think the bigger thing is he also entitled to his opinion

27:00 Democracy free speech. He really has that feeling, like he's holding a good safe with patriotism. But what I'm saying is, before major, as far as I know, I could be wrong but as far as my knowledge goes, there was no war film in Telugu cinema before major. There might have been a soldier episode. There are real trade movies. But there will always be a soldier episode. But there is not an authentic war film. Number two Distributors have a rumor, an agreement that patriotic films are not played in Telugu. Oh! That's the default. They don't do it? Yes, they name them but they don't say anything financially or commercially. A Malayali man born in Kerala, grew up in Bangalore, lived in Delhi and Manesar, fought in Kargil, fought for his country in Bombay

28:02 He was in Hyderabad for a while. When he was the captain, he was at our artillery center in Hyderabad no doubt but it wasn't shown on TV. What is the connectivity for an 18 year old in Vizag? My brother and my wife... what's there to say about that? And how much of our country... As soon as August 15th comes, we say Jai Hind, Vande Mataram Janaka Ramana. Which region, which caste, what language? I'm talking about you. What's the name of your house? Which village? We get all these calculations right? So my greatest achievement was... Major pre-release event was nothing but we showed the movie 5 days before release. Pre-release event in Sangamsara theatre, Vizag. To 1800 people. You did 10 premieres right? Yes we did that throughout the country But for Telugu people, 5 days before pre-release event we showed them

CHAPTER 16 / 46 Discussion

Life-Changing Meeting and Animal Rescue Efforts

The speaker recounts a profound meeting with a young cancer patient that inspired him to rescue animals, particularly dogs, in need of help, highlighting the importance of compassion and action.

cancer· rescue· dogs· compassion· inspiration· Keerthi

29:00 With live cameras there. And, I mean after the film ended the cameras are on That means any boy or girl holding a mic and saying that the movie is good, means they can't do anything. Right? It's gone! I got them to chant Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan Amar Ray Crazy If anyone says this is safe Okay boss you're entitled to your opinion Good response There is an e-zone right? There is a purpose behind me asking this question about cancer survivors or the cancer victims, and animal shelters. You've been showing a lot of gestures there. I saw many photos. How did this start? Man it all happened after major bro. Really. BCAD is what they call it right? Before major and after major. All of this that you said? Yeah yeah

30:01 There's this lovely little girl named Keerthi. She was fighting cancer, she passed away but she loved me so when they said that she is very shy and hasn't travelled yet but wants to meet her I left when they told me about her name. They came from Narsapur to Rajahmundry and I went there. How old was the girl? 6 or 7 years old And you know... Her meeting just changed my life because she was giving me gifts. It made me realize what is important and her mom messaged me the other day that she wrote a book about her and I want to help push the book and She had a lot more courage than i do bro, really. I don't have the same courage as her So when I see things like that

31:07 Many people don't know, there is a police station in Madhapur on the left side of the road. There's Mercedes Benz showroom on the right and police station on the other side. That road has fast traffic. So dogs can be hit by cars or bikes. Whenever I go to that road, I slow down and look around. 10 times or 2 times you will see an animal that needs help. From then till now I have rescued 4 dogs. One dog died. While I was trying to rescue it, one dog is happy. I couldn't find a home for the other dog so I left him with Anand from Happy Dogs Training School. He said take care of her and I'll try to look after her One dog is in healing right now And when I think about all these people It doesn't make sense to me To meet an actor at a producer's party

32:02 In which world are you living? No, well said. And if you consider only one thing and four dogs get hurt... Just imagine if maybe 10% of the viewers are caring about it. Yeah like some of my friends were saying I had dogs, rabies etc. Let's talk statistics That's a big debate, right? It is. I'm the deity of that debate! But my point is let us talk statistics. How many rabies deaths are there in India and do you know how many dogs are killed by being beaten up in every colony in India So let us talk. Somewhere inherently we have a belief that we are better than other living beings. How come? Our culture doesn't teach this. Gita didn't teach it to us All living beings are equal. That's why we say we are inferior

CHAPTER 17 / 46 Discussion

Animal Rights, Rabies, and Human Superiority

The speaker discusses animal rights, rabies statistics in India, and challenges the notion of human superiority over animals, referencing cultural teachings and inherent abilities.

animal rights· rabies· human superiority· India· statistics· culture

32:02 In which world are you living? No, well said. And if you consider only one thing and four dogs get hurt... Just imagine if maybe 10% of the viewers are caring about it. Yeah like some of my friends were saying I had dogs, rabies etc. Let's talk statistics That's a big debate, right? It is. I'm the deity of that debate! But my point is let us talk statistics. How many rabies deaths are there in India and do you know how many dogs are killed by being beaten up in every colony in India So let us talk. Somewhere inherently we have a belief that we are better than other living beings. How come? Our culture doesn't teach this. Gita didn't teach it to us All living beings are equal. That's why we say we are inferior

32:55 That's why my name is Sesh. I got the name from Sesh Nagar. So how can you even assume that you are better than another animal? It came from a thinking mind. And, uh... You think it is not intelligent because he doesn't talk but you are not intelligent the way it is. Now if a giraffe was born, it would walk within one hour. Can we walk within an hour? Who is intelligent then? There is a lovely saying, right? If you judge a fish by its ability to run... It doesn't make any sense. So we have decided that animals are better in our purview. I've done a podcast with Babu Rao sir and Nilofer. I did the podcast with Nilofer founder. In the last episode of the podcast, casually asked him if he works for social welfare or not. And got some context like this.

CHAPTER 18 / 46 Discussion

Thalassemia, Stem Cells, and Blood Donation

The speaker discusses Thalassemia and the importance of blood donations, highlighting a conversation with Babu Rao and Nilofer. They also share information about stem cell donation and the global NGO DKMS, emphasizing the low donor rate in India and the need for increased awareness.

Thalassemia· blood donation· stem cells· DKMS· awareness

32:55 That's why my name is Sesh. I got the name from Sesh Nagar. So how can you even assume that you are better than another animal? It came from a thinking mind. And, uh... You think it is not intelligent because he doesn't talk but you are not intelligent the way it is. Now if a giraffe was born, it would walk within one hour. Can we walk within an hour? Who is intelligent then? There is a lovely saying, right? If you judge a fish by its ability to run... It doesn't make any sense. So we have decided that animals are better in our purview. I've done a podcast with Babu Rao sir and Nilofer. I did the podcast with Nilofer founder. In the last episode of the podcast, casually asked him if he works for social welfare or not. And got some context like this.

33:54 The point that he told, I never heard it. It is a great virtue to donate blood once for Thalassemia hospital. Because after the child's birth, if you don't do blood transfusion for 15-20 days, he will die. So being in front of media and hearing something from somewhere, I have never thought about this. Thalassemia is such a thing I was shocked how many people are suffering because of this. How much is the recovery rate? If you put in so much effort, how many blood donations will be made and what kind of care can be taken to recover it? Recently...I told you there's a reason right? Almost one year back...no not one year, nine months back I've been to Delhi where I met someone who was mentioning about certain stem cells etc. Generally stem cells come from two sides. As far as technologically possible or not.

34:49 But when I heard that, for people with blood cancers or blood disorders, stem cells match... HLA, I wrote it also. Yeah! Matching the HLA matches 1 out of 10 lakhs people. Literally if you register 10 lakhs people, it will match one person. In such statistics many are playing games. Yes. There I got to know about this global NGO DKMS. Their intention was good. And I've been going through their social media and all And I've registered a process, maybe it will come this week. They did the cheek swab in COVID. You can do one of those and send it back by scanning. It's not even a rupee expense for us

35:35 In case, it matches with us. If one out of 10 lakhs people can match... It will be helpful. Exactly! Painless process and everything is seamless right? Again that's their discretion. In case they call you to say this is the process or not, I could have said no if they didn't like me. And that was what I liked most. Till now in India, there are 150 crore people under 200 lakh donors. Because of lack of awareness because of lack of knowledge or else we don't have much control over them So I thought telling about your Talasimya I used to hear about Thalassemi in the US. But here, for the first time, someone is telling me about him again! So it's true you're right lack of awareness even for me definitely i should thank Baburao sir like the way he told us all this... we talked twice after that at least something has to be done and then maybe podcast was also my first time talking to him when I went out, I spoke many times but during podcasts our discussion went out

36:27 I will put the details below. For those who are interested, we have a direct registration link in the description Any day it's better to be a part of something meaningful, right? So make sure you're going through it. If you like it, enroll one day and register yourself. You can... I mean before registering also you can learn a lot about it. You could even know what the process is and how things work out. Yeah! Since we got the context, I thought that I'll have to share it. We did a fun interview together at her house. She has a lovely chat show. Oh, chat show? Yeah! So, since it was a decoy, I put it in the dictionary. But they didn't have any dictionary props. So they bought me a chain and tied it to my hands. It's like a little skit. In that fun... They tied a doggy chain around their neck. Okay.

CHAPTER 19 / 46 Discussion

Discussing a Fun Interview and Chat Show

The speakers discuss a fun interview experience, including a skit involving a chain prop and a golden retriever, and mention the upcoming release of the episode and potential copyright issues related to its teaser.

interview· chat show· skit· golden retriever· copyright· teaser

36:27 I will put the details below. For those who are interested, we have a direct registration link in the description Any day it's better to be a part of something meaningful, right? So make sure you're going through it. If you like it, enroll one day and register yourself. You can... I mean before registering also you can learn a lot about it. You could even know what the process is and how things work out. Yeah! Since we got the context, I thought that I'll have to share it. We did a fun interview together at her house. She has a lovely chat show. Oh, chat show? Yeah! So, since it was a decoy, I put it in the dictionary. But they didn't have any dictionary props. So they bought me a chain and tied it to my hands. It's like a little skit. In that fun... They tied a doggy chain around their neck. Okay.

37:29 I asked him if he had tied a dog chain to me. He said, no, offended! I would actually be more offended by handcuffs. It's become so common. If they think it is offensive... No, no she was caring about how i feel and then that discussion got me to meet her 14 year old golden retriever Yeah, I have been there. When we went home 3 months back she was here Amazing Human Being again. Have you released your episode? No, I'll come tomorrow. I didn't see it in the morning. I was looking for it somewhere else. In this process... Whether it's a teaser or trailer... Those are meant to tease and give a trailer of the movie right? When the teaser came out we used your audio for Buzz too right? Now can I put copyright strike on that as well? You do big things. We will be happy!

38:28 I said, so What my question was? So, let's talk about the promotion. Actually that is the question. You can put a teaser or trailer... That is the deciding factor to an extent right? I believe in it. At least till Telugu cinema, even more than trailers, I believe in the teaser as the deciding factor. How would be the situation if you post it? Before posting and after so many variations are studied. For us actually this time... Usually when I hear of teasers, I get nervous but this time for me You won't believe it. PK, my editor, Pawan Kalyani, his name is after the act. So...PK, it's so funny. He always sends me a teaser and asks how are things? Any changes? He did that for Major too. And you know, he asked if I wanted to send any scene for Gudachari 2 at any time. But when he sent this teaser for this film, he said, Sir! A small gift. Oh my God! Look at him sir.

CHAPTER 20 / 46 Discussion

Childhood Memories Triggered by Audio Selection

The speaker expresses surprise and nostalgia upon hearing a specific audio clip, which reminds him of dancing in his childhood during a birthday party and the songs that were played. The audio selection was a gift and a thoughtful gesture.

childhood· memories· nostalgia· audio· dancing· birthday

38:28 I said, so What my question was? So, let's talk about the promotion. Actually that is the question. You can put a teaser or trailer... That is the deciding factor to an extent right? I believe in it. At least till Telugu cinema, even more than trailers, I believe in the teaser as the deciding factor. How would be the situation if you post it? Before posting and after so many variations are studied. For us actually this time... Usually when I hear of teasers, I get nervous but this time for me You won't believe it. PK, my editor, Pawan Kalyani, his name is after the act. So...PK, it's so funny. He always sends me a teaser and asks how are things? Any changes? He did that for Major too. And you know, he asked if I wanted to send any scene for Gudachari 2 at any time. But when he sent this teaser for this film, he said, Sir! A small gift. Oh my God! Look at him sir.

39:24 Was this audio selected before? Eight months back. Why did you get that audio? So, it's directly linked to my childhood. Okay. So, Vizag St Mary's friend birthday I think third standard or something like that. First time in class everyone made me dance. So the first time even though i was feeling shy, I danced on these two songs. Okay. Kannu Petru, Kannu Kutturu and Two Cheese Badiya Masam. Wow! And those two were released in the same year, if you remember. So it was like this feeling of... You know nostalgia for me. My first childhood. I don't even remember what standard i was in but It was that kind of an environment. And when i told this to Shanil and Supriya

40:11 She saw how much I loved the things, it was her idea. And from there... You got approvals from there? From then on... So generally in this process... Red triangle! Actually yeah, red triangle Annapurna. Got it. Now you came from there right? Yeah, our Decorated Office is over there. Now if you select a song, an old movie or some cult movie What is the process? I don't know much about it. Usually producers change audio labels. But in India, the tricky part is this whole IP thing...

CHAPTER 21 / 46 Discussion

Intellectual Property Rights and Movie Ratings

Discussion about IP rights in the Indian film industry, disputes between producers, lyricists, and music directors, and the impact of negative IMDb ratings from Bangladesh due to perceived misrepresentation in the movie.

IP rights· Indian film industry· IMDb ratings· Bangladesh· movie production

40:11 She saw how much I loved the things, it was her idea. And from there... You got approvals from there? From then on... So generally in this process... Red triangle! Actually yeah, red triangle Annapurna. Got it. Now you came from there right? Yeah, our Decorated Office is over there. Now if you select a song, an old movie or some cult movie What is the process? I don't know much about it. Usually producers change audio labels. But in India, the tricky part is this whole IP thing...

40:48 Very early, maybe 2010-2015, producers didn't know the laws correctly. So what is the audio company? What belongs to the audio company? What belongs to the producer? What belongs to the lyricist? All these were small disputes that would happen. What belongs to the music director? Singer... I think there is some clarity. There was a clarity for the last 10 years, but I am not that up to date. So don't take it personally. We didn't face any issues right? I'm told that Koti sir felt something. But immediately we said sorry to Koti. Her first film was also Koti's music. I heard a funny thing.

41:44 What is the story behind how people in Bangladesh felt and made it into IMDb ratings? Some terrorists are using Bangladesh as a base. But now, we have... Terrorists are using all countries. They used US and India too. So I just showed that. Many of them started with 1 star rating on MDV. It's not about the movie. How can you show Bangladesh? 1 star!

42:24 So, before that happened it was one of the highest rated action films in the world. And suddenly... In the world? Yes! In the world. So IMDb released a worldwide map list. From where? Action films Top-rated action films in the country worldwide We were the number 1 action film for India at that time and unfortunately I couldn't do anything, so I made a request to file a complaint. Crowd voted like crowd funded? It will go down in the end. But I mean Gudachari is all heart man. Amazing movie as well. I'm waiting for G2. Thank you thank you. And there's Emraan Hashmi in that right? Yes, Emraan Hashmi and Vamika.

CHAPTER 22 / 46 Discussion

Discussion about Gudachari movie and AI editing

The speaker discusses the movie Gudachari and expresses anticipation for its sequel, G2. They also touch upon the topic of on-site editing and the use of AI in film editing, particularly in the US.

Gudachari· G2· Emraan Hashmi· AI editing· on-site editing· VFX

42:24 So, before that happened it was one of the highest rated action films in the world. And suddenly... In the world? Yes! In the world. So IMDb released a worldwide map list. From where? Action films Top-rated action films in the country worldwide We were the number 1 action film for India at that time and unfortunately I couldn't do anything, so I made a request to file a complaint. Crowd voted like crowd funded? It will go down in the end. But I mean Gudachari is all heart man. Amazing movie as well. I'm waiting for G2. Thank you thank you. And there's Emraan Hashmi in that right? Yes, Emraan Hashmi and Vamika.

43:09 I saw a round table earlier. You were talking to both the editors and your producer was there beside you I remember that was the first time I got to know that on-site editing is also possible.

43:46 It's been happening. All the films are 10 years old now. So, it will be shot and edited regularly? Yeah! In US, AI shoots and edits them. And they show small VFX with their AI. If we're shooting a heavy VFX film, they'll ask us to choose a broad color palette for that particular movie. So, it's... Interesting. But I think as with all things, the more options we increase, the bigger the complications. But how is that helping? Because you are editing on this site, will there be some scrap trimming or what would be the process? You know, I feel like definitely cutting and pacing of a scene better than 1970s.

CHAPTER 23 / 46 Discussion

Impact of Technology on Art and Attention

The discussion centers on how technology, particularly online editing and short-form content platforms, affects storytelling, attention spans, and the staying power of young artists, contrasting it with the experiences of older generations familiar with both analog and digital media.

online editing· attention span· technology· music industry· analog vs digital· storytelling

43:46 It's been happening. All the films are 10 years old now. So, it will be shot and edited regularly? Yeah! In US, AI shoots and edits them. And they show small VFX with their AI. If we're shooting a heavy VFX film, they'll ask us to choose a broad color palette for that particular movie. So, it's... Interesting. But I think as with all things, the more options we increase, the bigger the complications. But how is that helping? Because you are editing on this site, will there be some scrap trimming or what would be the process? You know, I feel like definitely cutting and pacing of a scene better than 1970s.

44:38 In this technological game, I sincerely feel that we should sideline storytelling. Okay! And there was one lovely article I read about Billboard Top 100 Music Artists. So, since 50 years, every week they will have a top 100 albums on the billboard chart. Correct! For the first time... The average age of billboard artist is not 25 or 26. It's 37. Okay? The reason for that is... So what does that mean? The sub stack essay says, youngsters who are new musicians, film makers and actors don't have staying power

45:26 Because, Instagram Reels, TikTok and YouTube shots... You are not used to paying attention to one thing. Correct! So it should shift. So this too can't be done if there is a lot of difficulty. And the same thing with online editing. Sometimes when you don't have online editing, you have to think about how you're going to paste the scene. Correct! I'm not thinking as long as there's online editing. Take even this shot. At least take at least this good shot. So why did 37 musicians become average age? Our generation is dominating. Because we are the last generation that is both analog and digital. We can print audio cassettes with a pencil, we know about VCD's, DVD's, MP3's...

46:14 You know, Landmarkilly... Many people would have seen it. Yeah! I know that Landmarkilly is on CD. He might be pirating Napster. Limewire? All that you see the whole thing and now you come to this whole... You don't need to download a song just listen to it on Wink. Right right very true. And he said some logic about linear editing Basically, many of us know that editing is a process. Director, producer, actor, actress and villain. It's been like this for so long. When technicians come out, we slowly understand the importance of lighting, cinematography during production, editing in post-production, sound etc. But specifically in this podcast I wanted to ask you about editing and its importance. Let's put aside on site.

CHAPTER 24 / 46 Discussion

Editing, Storytelling, and Finding New Ideas

The speaker discusses the importance of editing in filmmaking, highlighting the talents of editors Vinay and PK, and emphasizes the need for innovative storytelling in a world saturated with readily available visuals.

editing· storytelling· innovation· filmmaking· music· visuals

46:14 You know, Landmarkilly... Many people would have seen it. Yeah! I know that Landmarkilly is on CD. He might be pirating Napster. Limewire? All that you see the whole thing and now you come to this whole... You don't need to download a song just listen to it on Wink. Right right very true. And he said some logic about linear editing Basically, many of us know that editing is a process. Director, producer, actor, actress and villain. It's been like this for so long. When technicians come out, we slowly understand the importance of lighting, cinematography during production, editing in post-production, sound etc. But specifically in this podcast I wanted to ask you about editing and its importance. Let's put aside on site.

47:01 Post production. Oh, you mean everyone said cooked about the teaser? I got it now. Tell me more. So if we can talk about that... How do they edit? You are going to be a master class in this. Do you edit actually? No, I have good sense of it. Very good sense of editing I feel but The brilliance that comes when Vinay what he did with Major and PK came to be an online editor. He just edited the set temporarily and Vinay came as a main editor for his major, PK. His ideas are so good that along with Vinay we made him the main editor of our major. And now PK is the single card main editor for Gudachari 2 and for Decode. Oh crazy! So you know very once in a generation rare talents these days. Not only Vinay or PK. I think... In broad storytelling mistakes happen.

47:58 But to bring out of the box ideas and give it, I think that's where a true director and editor comes into play. classical storytelling, they say that I have seen it. That is good too! Almost like... Like sambar rice at home. It's always eaten right? Say something new, say something new, say something new, you know so i feel like in that matter the edge they have, cutting edge is extraordinary and for example when we made a decoit announcement

48:36 When we were discussing about the music, he was like... Some dark music. Whatever whatever whatever. And one day Shanil brought a crazy music with him. It's an international audio company in LA made this music. We struggled for 6 months to buy it. So, in the cinema... Do they respond or accept? They don't respond at first. After that comes negotiations and costs. And we bought the music. How to use it for movies etc. It was a very interesting space which would not have been possible pre-internet. Amazing! I think you have to constantly look

49:24 How can you tell something that is a new thing? That's the thing. Because if you look at 90s, every movie had songs from New Zealand or Switzerland because of visual we didn't see. If I take my phone like this today, it will be enough to see Norway glacier. So what's new in that? I don't know about visuals and craft but I know how to say things. That's why if you suddenly watch it, the music video that was shot won't have 400 million views. It will be very casual and maybe in a room. There would be 400 million views for that. You yourself talked about Sreecharan as a composer right? Is it about Major Movie or Gudachari? He has done both. Specifically he spoke of silence in one scene

CHAPTER 25 / 46 Discussion

The Power of Silence in Film

The segment discusses the effective use of silence in film, particularly in music composition, acting, and editing, highlighting how it builds anticipation and emphasizes key moments, referencing examples from the movie "Bharatane."

silence· film· music· acting· editing· anticipation· Sreecharan· Bharatane

49:24 How can you tell something that is a new thing? That's the thing. Because if you look at 90s, every movie had songs from New Zealand or Switzerland because of visual we didn't see. If I take my phone like this today, it will be enough to see Norway glacier. So what's new in that? I don't know about visuals and craft but I know how to say things. That's why if you suddenly watch it, the music video that was shot won't have 400 million views. It will be very casual and maybe in a room. There would be 400 million views for that. You yourself talked about Sreecharan as a composer right? Is it about Major Movie or Gudachari? He has done both. Specifically he spoke of silence in one scene

50:12 When you were talking to DSP, he was speaking about not only where the BGM should be played but also how it should be kept. He is a proper… Where can I go and where can't I go? So let's talk about this power of silence if we are going to talk about editing. I noticed that in Bharatane there was beautiful moment with Antarakanna Suddhi in that discussion. When he counters, Mahesh sir walks slowly and at that time you can tell the mixer. DTS Mixer, Dolby Mixer has slowly brought everything down. Even if there is a crowd, what will be heard? Just you hear his footsteps it comes very close to the mic and he says it. The moment he says Antakarnasuddi... A high came in order for that beat to hit. So, for that beat to get a high, first of all we need 20 seconds silence. Very true!

51:04 So, I'm a big believer in that. You know the idea that silence sets up anticipation actually and it's not just in music. I've seen the great actors do it. That pause? Yeah! When they talk, suddenly when they are talking, they stop thinking and then say rest of the line. Those three seconds don't cut away from them because you see they're doing something And I think there's something... Hindi says, it is called as Theraavu. Theraavu? Okay. It has a word for that. So, I like the idea very much and we use that a lot. You know, for example in Gudachari, you know, the character Khan beats Madhushalini with his feet. Right! He beats her with his feet. But, the girl

CHAPTER 26 / 46 Discussion

Acting: Innate Talent vs. Hard Work

The segment discusses the balance between innate talent and hard work in acting, using examples from the speaker's experience and observations of other actors, particularly Mrunal, highlighting the emotional depth required for authentic performance.

acting· talent· hard work· emotion· Mrunal· Theraavu

51:04 So, I'm a big believer in that. You know the idea that silence sets up anticipation actually and it's not just in music. I've seen the great actors do it. That pause? Yeah! When they talk, suddenly when they are talking, they stop thinking and then say rest of the line. Those three seconds don't cut away from them because you see they're doing something And I think there's something... Hindi says, it is called as Theraavu. Theraavu? Okay. It has a word for that. So, I like the idea very much and we use that a lot. You know, for example in Gudachari, you know, the character Khan beats Madhushalini with his feet. Right! He beats her with his feet. But, the girl

52:08 He was completely shattered, his face was shattered. He was standing like this and I said, go on! And he kept going... As the camera turns, slowly music starts playing. So that is a good example of Therav. Got it? In your experience and acting, what do you think? How much of acting is innate? What comes naturally with hard work? Acting as a craft. I think other than the technical crafts like cinematography, editing, lighting, photography you know other such things. All of them are more natural than technical and you can use technique to enhance your natural talent. Without natural talent how much ever acting classes we take it will not work out

53:00 Whereas cinematographer may be... Even if you don't get such a big frame, you can learn it. Whereas acting is not necessarily something that you can learn if you do not have it. We need to have the matter within us and we can enhance or increase that matter. I think acting is one of those crafts. Because it's done with our heart. You know? And what's interesting about acting is We say, okay let's be professional not emotional. In corporate world or in a hospital or an IT company, let's be professional and put our emotions aside to talk. I am in a profession where you won't agree unless we put our emotion on the table. 100%. That is why they call actors moody because it is very difficult for us to bring out our emotions

53:54 Our work, our profession. Don't think that what we see is what we like and what supports us. So it's just this idea of if I can immerse myself in it then you'll believe that I'm an actor. I observed this. I thought a lot about why people say 3D. Because even though there are others who are silent on set is different. In general also because I keep meeting actors I can see that they are very composed. Though they are very energetic on the set or in front of the screen, it was there in my mind just now. But... I noticed this with Mrunal. In Decoy, we were shooting with Mrunal near Kondapochamma Dam. It's a big field and a very intense dark scene at 3 am. We all got tired and our eyes were closing. Mrunal came to us and

54:52 You know, this scene... Keep in mind I'm also the writer of the film. Correct! So Shanil explains to me how he wants to do it and I tell him what dialogue should be said during the scene. Okay! While explaining, she's like... She looks moody. I didn't understand. Because this movie happened so easily with her, I didn't know why she was in such a mood? The scene is such an intense scene. She digests that mood and absorbs it almost. And she's feeling it even when she's talking without acting

55:33 The moment we cut, the moment she packed up next morning when I woke her up and talked to her. She didn't even realize that she was so calm and pleasant inside. And it is a beautiful example of just how natural an actor she is but... ...I often feel that the greater an actor, the more different moods they have to be in. Correct! How much of your writing helps you? You write dialogues, right? No. Maybe I write rough dialogues. Aburi Ravi sir is my guru. He... Oh yeah! You mentioned about multiple movies and what not on a stage. Yeah! Panja, Kshanam, Gudachari, Yavvaru, Major

CHAPTER 27 / 46 Discussion

Importance of Dialogue Writing in Cinema

The speaker discusses the importance of dialogue writing in cinema, emphasizing the role of his guru, Aburi Ravi, in shaping his approach to writing and how good dialogue should feel natural and not forced, highlighting the impact of writing on actors and the constraints faced when writing for established heroes.

dialogue writing· cinema· Aburi Ravi· script guidance· actors· visualizing

55:33 The moment we cut, the moment she packed up next morning when I woke her up and talked to her. She didn't even realize that she was so calm and pleasant inside. And it is a beautiful example of just how natural an actor she is but... ...I often feel that the greater an actor, the more different moods they have to be in. Correct! How much of your writing helps you? You write dialogues, right? No. Maybe I write rough dialogues. Aburi Ravi sir is my guru. He... Oh yeah! You mentioned about multiple movies and what not on a stage. Yeah! Panja, Kshanam, Gudachari, Yavvaru, Major

56:21 He is my guru, my life mentor. script guidance and we have a new title. Because when we write scripts, he guides us saying maybe this is not correct or it's good. Without hurting myself too. And he writes the dialogues. So in his dialogues what is remarkable thing is that at least our collaborations, there are 7 collaborations here. In our collaborations We don't know that the characters are talking in dialogues. What he always says is, you can write what you want to on a page or paragraph. You can say it in one word and another in another. And if not, show it with your eyes. Crazy! So that's his fundamental approach to cinema. Many people may not know about writing importance because they do not understand the pattern of writing. Recently I was talking to my team when we were all discussing this topic. How much does it impact?

57:24 What impact does writing have on actors? I heard that you write in an atmosphere-based style. Not sure whether it is right or not, but what do you think about it? See, people don't realize. Now, in Ola, you drink a small tea and talk to four guys. Dude! The hero said this dialogue then. Dialogue is not the hero's but the writer's. He delivered the hero. Right. So... First he would have seen us. Visualizing it. And many times especially when writing for big heroes. I mean now at one time those two eyes for Telugu cinema. After that 4 pillars. Now those 6. Whatever it may be

58:15 Because they get restricted by the image they have. And audience won't accept it if that's not there. Correct! So, the dialogue writer understands and visualizes... ...and checks whether these words suit him or not. And not just for one actor right? You'll have to think and visualize and expect how all the characters should be. Yeah! I mean many times you write a hero and another hero doesn't work out. Like if we take for example my approach to acting in someone like

CHAPTER 28 / 46 Discussion

Dialogue Writer's Role and Actor Compatibility

The speaker discusses the dialogue writer's need to visualize characters and consider how different actors might interpret the same lines, highlighting the contrast between methodical and spontaneous acting styles.

dialogue writer· acting· character visualization· actor compatibility· method acting· spontaneous acting

58:15 Because they get restricted by the image they have. And audience won't accept it if that's not there. Correct! So, the dialogue writer understands and visualizes... ...and checks whether these words suit him or not. And not just for one actor right? You'll have to think and visualize and expect how all the characters should be. Yeah! I mean many times you write a hero and another hero doesn't work out. Like if we take for example my approach to acting in someone like

58:57 Sidhu's approach to acting. This is just polar opposites, I'm very preparation methodical, and he is very spontaneous, impulsive. And maybe the same thing won't...I've never worked with him. I am assuming every take will be new I warm up. Maybe my second take is better than the first one, or maybe it's better than the fourth take... I build that with a graph established. So it's very different way of... Actually what's your position now? You can't sleep well. Situation isn't good. Yesterday you were hospitalized but you got time key and movie was over right? Yes yes yes! How are these last countdown days actually going to be like?

CHAPTER 29 / 46 Discussion

Final Film Production and Release Details

The speaker discusses the stressful final days of film production, including release date changes and the importance of quality control. They also mention having two versions of the film, a Telugu and a Hindi version.

film production· release date· quality control· Telugu film· Hindi film

58:57 Sidhu's approach to acting. This is just polar opposites, I'm very preparation methodical, and he is very spontaneous, impulsive. And maybe the same thing won't...I've never worked with him. I am assuming every take will be new I warm up. Maybe my second take is better than the first one, or maybe it's better than the fourth take... I build that with a graph established. So it's very different way of... Actually what's your position now? You can't sleep well. Situation isn't good. Yesterday you were hospitalized but you got time key and movie was over right? Yes yes yes! How are these last countdown days actually going to be like?

59:48 Everyone has their own way of doing things. Some people say that they made a film like family, while others say that the song is released at this time and deadline is missed. And for me, usually I change my release date. That happened here too? Yes, it did happen. It was also major. But not to suffer from quality... It's an unbearable matter. So, we have to be careful of checking each and every one thousand times just to do it right, do it great! And there are two films here, right? Yes, Hindi. Proper true blue Telugu film, proper true blue Hindi film. Director is not a Telugu. So, our meter is not that of the Telugu, but Hindi is his meter. Oho! He is my best friend. Right, right. True Blue means...

CHAPTER 30 / 46 Discussion

Discussion on Language, Authenticity, and Padman

The speaker discusses language nuances, the meaning of "true blue," and shares a story about the origins of the Padman movie, emphasizing its authentic roots in Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh.

Hindi· Telugu· True Blue· Padman· Authenticity· Language· Madhya Pradesh

59:48 Everyone has their own way of doing things. Some people say that they made a film like family, while others say that the song is released at this time and deadline is missed. And for me, usually I change my release date. That happened here too? Yes, it did happen. It was also major. But not to suffer from quality... It's an unbearable matter. So, we have to be careful of checking each and every one thousand times just to do it right, do it great! And there are two films here, right? Yes, Hindi. Proper true blue Telugu film, proper true blue Hindi film. Director is not a Telugu. So, our meter is not that of the Telugu, but Hindi is his meter. Oho! He is my best friend. Right, right. True Blue means...

1:00:45 True blue is just like a rhyming as if to say Genuinely, authentically. Okay. Don't ask me what genuine means? Your dialect is also from Madhya Pradesh right? In Hindi then? Normal Hindi in Hindi... I watched that film Padman. The original story of Padman happened to us in Tamil Nadu. I didn't do the Padman movie but the point is, it happened in Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal. I felt something there Enty and a mana mana story in the chapacoda feeling so Decorated conscious decision internet it is authentic story happening on the Karnataka border mother pullo Mother Polly's Bangalore a little and he never got characters So while Bojpuri Hindi Harianvi Hindi

1:01:42 Laknowi Hindi is a variety, so I speak in Neutral Hindi. Right! So April 10th? It is April 10 this summer Get ready for the action adventure of a lifetime. Sorry. Your Telugu accent was also there. Lakshmi Ganapathi Films. Deck Hyde. Oka Prema Katha. Prema Katha You wrote an action thriller, right? No. It's actually a love story. My first love story! In your movies? I mean, back then... But no. It's my first love story as a film and you know, we went for more of the twists than feelings this time. What is this without twists? There are twists. There is thrill right? Yes there is. There is thrill. There is a big difference between thriller and thrill. Because there is word in thriller. So seeing the love story and getting thrilled is different

CHAPTER 31 / 46 Discussion

Action Scene Injury and Recovery

The speakers discuss an action scene that led to injuries, specifically a PCL tear, and their respective recovery periods. They also touch on the use of spices in cooking and cultural differences.

action scene· injury· PCL tear· recovery· ligament· spice

1:04:00 Not non-veg, right? No non veg. No garam masala. Don't think there's any taste in life anymore. There is a lot of it. But what would be there in veg, brother? Can I bring D2? One detour. What is detour... We got all this red chili from Portugal. From South America. We didn't have chilies So, there is a spice in it. But that's not ours! Is it? That's why our pooja books don't say to add more spice. I'm true Indian. You've been doing this for 2 hours and 8 hours right? I can't eat spicy food if you do it.

1:04:41 You said you got injured, right? Is that why you are delaying it? Yeah. What happened? So it was an action scene bro. In a big cellar. A proper running action scene. Me and Rudolph were doing it very carefully. The whole thing became an action scene. Thank God! Just the last walking shot, give me a small emotional look. I have to take a cue as if I am holding her like this. Okay I know. All the Mrunal admirers were like... They wanted to throw me out. But luckily, she came smilingly for the next day's shoot. What about you? I smiled but it didn't work out. How long did that last? We both walked with our eyes open. Mine was 10 days and yours how many days? Mine was 4-5 months. It was a DCL tear

1:05:41 So funny thing is, I didn't know that a body has PCL until it tears. Same for me too! I heard of ACL tearing. I've heard of IPL and ACL but never heard of PCL. What's PCL? Ligament. Oh! I think the ligaments season is going on, in our office too. I learned the word ligament. But how do you know? I am okay. I can't fully stretch my legs yet but I can walk and most importantly I can dance Actually, my song is coming out tomorrow. Let me show you. I want to show him a little clip of mine. Very subtly. No seriously! I want to show it here. Oh okay then. Genuinely. Call and pause it no issue. But i wanted to show you...I danced..i had fun. Amazing. Chichu Buddhi song

CHAPTER 32 / 46 Discussion

Gorakhpur Trip and Bhojpuri King Collaboration

The speaker discusses an upcoming trip to Gorakhpur and a collaboration with Bhojpuri King Pawan Singh, hinting at a new project launch and acknowledging the audience watching them on their phones.

Gorakhpur· Bhojpuri King· Pawan Singh· collaboration· launch

1:06:39 Your cameraman... He asked me earlier. He asked if you didn't bring Jonitha Gandhi? No, my friend told him that Jonitha Gandhi and Nuna Thakur are coming to the shoot. They're coming straight from Presbyterian Church. I told them. We've been waiting since morning. You didn't put on 3 mics then! It's okay? Can we take 2 minutes? How much time do you have? If you want to come again... I have a flight in the morning, they'll beat me up. Yeah! I'm going to Gorakhpur. Okay? This is for...? Me and Bhojpuri King Pawan Singh Oh! We are launching our... One minute. Look at one side. Only one room came out. We're in peak internet era People are on their phones watching us watch the phone Actually yeah

1:08:11 I can see all the new eyes in this. Genuinely good! I'm saying it because you're here. Nice, amazing! I can see all the new eyes. Genuinely serious. We wanted to have fun... It's difficult for us to play floor dance. So, I wanted to have fun. Right! So... We created a character for Jonitha as well. She is Rani. I won't make it sound like just one song. Tell me my character. You are Rani. Okay. You are in an illegal place. Police are going to come there. But you don't know that. So we didn't know the storm was coming. In such times, you're having fun and your entry is coming out of a drum

CHAPTER 33 / 46 Discussion

Creating Rani's Character and Pawan Singh

The speaker discusses creating the character Rani for Jonitha in an illegal setting and recounts the excitement surrounding Pawan Singh's presence on set, highlighting the collaborative atmosphere and the star's popularity.

character creation· Rani· Jonitha· Pawan Singh· collaboration· film set

1:08:11 I can see all the new eyes in this. Genuinely good! I'm saying it because you're here. Nice, amazing! I can see all the new eyes. Genuinely serious. We wanted to have fun... It's difficult for us to play floor dance. So, I wanted to have fun. Right! So... We created a character for Jonitha as well. She is Rani. I won't make it sound like just one song. Tell me my character. You are Rani. Okay. You are in an illegal place. Police are going to come there. But you don't know that. So we didn't know the storm was coming. In such times, you're having fun and your entry is coming out of a drum

1:08:54 She said, what drum? I thought it was an instrumental drum. But she said, there is nothing too glamorous about that. So we cut it off. But the cool thing is, I think she embraced it because Enjoyed it, right? So she was also able to look at it from a place of fun. You know, there are many girls in the set and boys too. Supriya sir, producer of the film personally took care of her costume. Okay! It's all very collaborative.

1:09:32 Pawan Singh came. And I don't know how Pawan Singh is now, but all the security guards in Eluminum Factory are from UP. So we were like, we're heroes and he's an Eluminum Factory guy? Sir! Sir! Sir! He's a king! Pawan Singh! That's it! Sir! Sir! Sir! What a lady! We were like, as Telugu actors... His heat was no joke. How was your experience with him? He's a good person, man. And I think he is a child celebrity and prodigy. He has been performing on stage since the age of 7 years. So you grow up in front of the world. When we are like that, whether we agree or not, everything gets hyper-exploited. We appear different to everyone else. That's another universe. We went there... About Touch Body song

CHAPTER 34 / 46 Discussion

Bahubali Set: Common Goal and Work Pattern

The speaker discusses observations from the Bahubali set, highlighting the importance of a common goal and a shared work pattern among the entire team for success.

Bahubali· common goal· work pattern· movie set· observation

1:10:22 Lucknow. When we went to meet, there were four land cruisers at the airport with Y category security and one of them was a gunman with proper MP5 weapons. I know that magazine called Weapon Enty is their major film. So, I had casual conversations with them but these were like proper uniformed guards Four cars. I was like, where are we? We're at home! We were escorted by a proper escort. Y category security and we went home. Very very sweet man. Crazy. Bro another talk. Since you don't drink, when you come to parties after drinking...

1:11:01 So, generally when we get big opportunities, based on our observation skills we learn a lot. You kept talking about Bahubali's opportunity When you are in such a set... Because, you also mentioned that you're a good actor. Great writer and bad director. Nice catch! That's good writing right there. So what do you observe when you're on such an opportunity or set? Or what did you carry out of that set?

1:11:50 I think Bahubali is a great example of common goal. For every person on that set, from makeup artist to Rajamouli sir, everyone has this goal of making the film wonderful and I think that mattered alot. Many times there won't be any common goal in a movie set And my maturity learning is that, apart from having a common goal, there should be a common work pattern. If we have different working styles and they have different working styles it won't work out. Even if both the working styles are same but goals aren't the same it will still not work out. Only when these two exist, it works. Makes sense yeah? New learning! I saw this one post on your Twitter too. 1.0 2.2 3.2 even its definitions. Help is repeated for me. It's good actually

CHAPTER 35 / 46 Discussion

Defining Identity Stages: 1.0, 2.0, 3.0

The speaker explains a personal framework for understanding identity development, using stages labeled 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 to represent different levels of self-awareness and external perception, referencing fitting in across cultures.

identity· self-awareness· cultural identity· stages· perception

1:11:50 I think Bahubali is a great example of common goal. For every person on that set, from makeup artist to Rajamouli sir, everyone has this goal of making the film wonderful and I think that mattered alot. Many times there won't be any common goal in a movie set And my maturity learning is that, apart from having a common goal, there should be a common work pattern. If we have different working styles and they have different working styles it won't work out. Even if both the working styles are same but goals aren't the same it will still not work out. Only when these two exist, it works. Makes sense yeah? New learning! I saw this one post on your Twitter too. 1.0 2.2 3.2 even its definitions. Help is repeated for me. It's good actually

1:12:36 1.0 was the American kid, Indian soul, American manners, American mannerisms. He came with dreams. Square peg in a round hole means he didn't fit in. When that Indian kid came here and when that American kid came Americans might not give you an Indian vibe but Indians won't give you an American vibe. So that's one point 2.0 was grounding I understood what am I. What am i, I want to introduce you guys. 1 point is that I don't know what am I 2 points are that I know what am I 3 points are that You know me. You will know? Yes, I do. Do you have a creative rampage? 2 points is that I know who am I and 3 points is that you know who am I. I think thats really the... Got it

CHAPTER 36 / 46 Discussion

Film Language Rights and Adaptations

The segment discusses the process of selling language rights for films, the importance of approval during adaptations, and compares the success of different film adaptations like Kshanam and Baghi 2.

language rights· film adaptation· remakes· Kshanam· Baghi 2

1:12:36 1.0 was the American kid, Indian soul, American manners, American mannerisms. He came with dreams. Square peg in a round hole means he didn't fit in. When that Indian kid came here and when that American kid came Americans might not give you an Indian vibe but Indians won't give you an American vibe. So that's one point 2.0 was grounding I understood what am I. What am i, I want to introduce you guys. 1 point is that I don't know what am I 2 points are that I know what am I 3 points are that You know me. You will know? Yes, I do. Do you have a creative rampage? 2 points is that I know who am I and 3 points is that you know who am I. I think thats really the... Got it

1:13:34 And, as an audience, I'm not into too much movie art. I watch a lot of movies. Since we care about the technical details more than anything else, we say whether or not a movie is good. But, there are some curious questions regarding the technicalities. In that, I wanted to ask you... In your previous movies also, for couple of movies, did you sell language rights? Yes, it was made in 5-6 languages. What does it matter? I mean, how does it matter or what happens when you get involved and then they take the money from you. What happens in that process? I think all film things are what was agreed upon. Sometimes we need to guide them a little bit. While agreeing? Sometimes while selling, they will be like... Without our approval this movie is not going to work out

1:14:28 It was not allowed to be removed. If you are doing an adaptation and not remaking it, the numbers will differ. What was Kshanam? Khanam was a remake but it is also an adaptation. Baghi 2 till date Tiger Shroff's biggest hit. But if Khanam becomes a true blue thriller, Baghi 2 is sort of more mainstream masala thriller Okay. I mean, in that... Adaptations? He is an army officer and he knows how to fight. What am i doing here? Again more like my one point of fish out of the water concept. The concept was that I will handle anyone. So when you see that they are very intelligent people. They went for a movie and earned 250 crores.

CHAPTER 37 / 46 Discussion

Filming Decoyt: Language, Dubbing, and Cultural Nuances

The speaker discusses the challenges and creative decisions involved in filming 'Decoyt' in both Telugu and Hindi, focusing on avoiding typical dubbing issues, tailoring humor and metaphors for each audience, and the unique experiences of actors like Anurag Kashyap and Sunil.

Decoyt· dubbing· Telugu· Hindi· cultural adaptation· Anurag Kashyap· Sunil

1:15:19 There's obviously... I understood two things from that. How important is an idea value, how important it is to maximize the idea. They maximized the idea and mine. So... You need to understand its potential too right? Okay so our ideas have a potential. Nice! Since then I don't sell movies in Hindi. You are not smart enough now. So.. I did majoring in Hindi. Decoyed now we shot it in Hindi. You also dubbed right? Many people get confused with dubbing The dialogues were spoken in Hindi. But we shot it in Hindi, not dubbed. We shot the book scene in two separate languages. Reason for that is... The visual aesthetic of the film is like a cowboy movie. Roads, roads, railings, guns and bullets, fire.

1:16:14 So, There is no realistic, right? When you say lips... In Hindi they add reels of South Indian movies. I didn't want that. Got it! It should look genuine. For a Telugu person this must feel like our movie and for a Hindi person this must be their own movie. But in almost 100% of the shoot 60% was shot again, right? For another language. Other than your driving shots or establishment shots every shot is twice but also treatment of the scene is different

1:16:57 For example, Chichibudi vs Touch buddy. Chichibudi is for Telugu people. Some of the Telugu people know Pawan Singh and some don't. So we put a card on Pawan Singh and made him speak in Telugu with his special appearance. He was the one who sang Touch Buddy. So he spoke completely differently than me And he sang the whole song. So, it's a different vibe and different conversation. Right! And... The length also changes because of that. And this is a small example. The big examples are... especially in the matter of humour and metaphors. Like, Kaake Pilla Kaakek Muddu. There are such similarities right? You can't say the same thing in Hindi. That's it right yeah! Writing has to be different for that right? It should be different but if reactions change then treatment changes. So Decoyt in that sense we were very careful to make sure you know an Indian soul

1:18:02 American making. Because, even though Chanel's background is in the US, her style of cutting and cooking But actually, I read that dubbing is not a language for actors and actresses. Even in recent works... I saw it earlier on a round table. ABCD, ABCD 1234, 1234... I read it as lip sync. True but that was long time ago. Now they stopped it. And also now saying like this makes for fun headline you know? The truth is there's lot of firsts for movie like this. Anurag Kashyap

1:18:40 He spoke in Telugu. I was like, oh! So we were dubbing for other people but he wrote every sentence and practiced it in Hindi. At the same time Sunil's first straight Hindi film. Oh! So he wrote all his sentences in Hindi words and said them in Hindi. So, and... What we did was... Sunil's voice has a fun side. Even if he is serious or funny, it will have some fun. Right! To avoid that fun, we brought in someone who is a Hindi dubbing artist. We searched for this person very closely using AI. And brought the Sunil-ness into the Hindi version. He is an original guy.

CHAPTER 38 / 46 Discussion

Working with Anurag Kashyap: Honesty and Perspective

The speaker discusses working with Anurag Kashyap, highlighting his unfiltered honesty, lack of ego, and unique perspective, also noting his surprising involvement and guidance in the Hindi adaptation of their work, and his career choices.

Anurag Kashyap· Hindi dubbing· honesty· perspective· film· actor

1:18:40 He spoke in Telugu. I was like, oh! So we were dubbing for other people but he wrote every sentence and practiced it in Hindi. At the same time Sunil's first straight Hindi film. Oh! So he wrote all his sentences in Hindi words and said them in Hindi. So, and... What we did was... Sunil's voice has a fun side. Even if he is serious or funny, it will have some fun. Right! To avoid that fun, we brought in someone who is a Hindi dubbing artist. We searched for this person very closely using AI. And brought the Sunil-ness into the Hindi version. He is an original guy.

1:19:31 And now, we have come to the topic of Anuraag. How is it working with him? Heard a lot about him! He's an extraordinary man Again, in this internet era... We talk very carefully. He doesn't care. Oh! He talks like a 5 year old unfiltered person I don't like it, I'm hungry. I feel bored and sleepy Let's go away. He's that beautifully honest. And when he understood that That was a beautiful surprise for us. So, when you are so unfiltered, zero egos. And I have said this in many interviews also that... In our Hindi writing, we would ask him how is this sir? Is it better than the other one? So an amazing Hindi writer and director is guiding us on our Hindi also for free. Perks of working with him

1:20:26 He doesn't agree, but he knows that he is a great actor. This is the greatest actor for him. I am very excited to see you in this frame. In the last scene, you hummed and sang a song in Hindi. You know about Gen Z movies, right? The funniest thing is there are Gen Alpha kids. They say, Oh! Maharaja villain. Dude, he shot Black Friday, Dev D, Massepoor. And several other classics also. What he brought to the table in terms of his view on life was beautiful. He said no to Alejandro Inarritu's film, Tom Cruise's hero Digger. That trailer came out. He said no to that film and one of the lead roles as well

1:21:16 They also said that if Irrfan Khan was there, he would have got the role. He said no to it and is doing our film. It's just a movie. There is no one with more lack of prejudice than him. If he likes to speak in English or Telugu, we will do it with you if he likes to say something. Crazy! That's beautiful. And one more thing, when I saw the poster for your movie, unfortunately this is just my opinion but in our industry its more of male domination right?

CHAPTER 39 / 46 Discussion

Poster Credits and Democratic Collaboration

The speaker discusses their decision to prioritize the female lead's name on the movie poster and credits, emphasizing a democratic approach to collaboration and crediting voice dubbing artists.

poster credits· collaboration· democracy· gender equality· voice dubbing

1:21:16 They also said that if Irrfan Khan was there, he would have got the role. He said no to it and is doing our film. It's just a movie. There is no one with more lack of prejudice than him. If he likes to speak in English or Telugu, we will do it with you if he likes to say something. Crazy! That's beautiful. And one more thing, when I saw the poster for your movie, unfortunately this is just my opinion but in our industry its more of male domination right?

1:21:58 First, Munna Nalgaaru's name. My name on the poster came first! I was like, Shesh don't you want to switch that? He said no... I liked it a lot. We had a 5-10 minute discussion about this. What must be your thought process? Generally for lead actors and heroes, there is a time limit right? How long will it take to say no or how long will it take for you to plan? When we were thinking in that sense what made you place her in the first line I have always been that. Particularly, if you see in the credits of Kshanam, Ada Sharma featuring voice dubbing by Veena Ghantasala. Unless there is a specific request from an actor saying, don't put my dubbing artist's name on it, my credit will be lost. If they want to use another card somewhere else... I try to do that. So I've always been very democratic in terms of credit and

CHAPTER 40 / 46 Discussion

Film Credits and Caste Dynamics

The speaker discusses an experience where a film worker named Seenu was denied proper credit due to caste issues, highlighting the speaker's own privilege and the importance of recognizing everyone's contributions.

film credits· caste· privilege· India· Mrunal

1:21:58 First, Munna Nalgaaru's name. My name on the poster came first! I was like, Shesh don't you want to switch that? He said no... I liked it a lot. We had a 5-10 minute discussion about this. What must be your thought process? Generally for lead actors and heroes, there is a time limit right? How long will it take to say no or how long will it take for you to plan? When we were thinking in that sense what made you place her in the first line I have always been that. Particularly, if you see in the credits of Kshanam, Ada Sharma featuring voice dubbing by Veena Ghantasala. Unless there is a specific request from an actor saying, don't put my dubbing artist's name on it, my credit will be lost. If they want to use another card somewhere else... I try to do that. So I've always been very democratic in terms of credit and

1:22:55 Small detour to give you a sense of naak India antha thelidhu. Oka time lo For chanam There was this lovely kid Seenu who is working for the film okay? Seenu ni peri credit la viyal, nu chala pan jesev, credit istha no. A seenu enney ene sir. Seenu enthi ki Seenu? Seenu enthe evaru Seenu. Give me something intiper cheppu. Etho ethe chuppunni. Le sir udhda enge. Naak teliledu what he meant by that and Those unsaid things... Can we talk about that? What was it? It's caste. You don't want that to come out and I didn't know, my privilege hid in me. My US upbringing hid in me So he said, let us do one thing Seenu

1:23:43 Tell me your initial one. Because, someone... My problem is that he should have credit for his work. He deserves it. So, C-NU means in railway station, they write 100 people as C-NU and Seshu. Not like that. One P, one R, tell something. Anyways so I've always been that guy who gives credit and when i saw what Mrunal was bringing to the table, I was like a love story. Love story of two. Right! Both are just as important. I am fire, she is soul. When these two clash like this, the film becomes a beautiful explosion. So for me it felt like she is not doing my movie but we are making together. Nice! So 2-3 times I was joking because Murali is such a busy actor you know? She's doing other films so yeah...I'll be there on your film

CHAPTER 41 / 46 Discussion

Minimum Guarantee Actors: Compliment or Challenge?

The speaker discusses the concept of 'minimum guarantee actors' and whether not being considered one is a compliment or a challenge to strive for maximum impact and quality work.

minimum guarantee· actors· blockbusters· compliment· challenge· quality· film

1:24:43 On that date and phone on our film. Yeah, not your answer the whole trend sir. Let's just an but then own Jessica me she really Brought something to the table name or sunny low rose image in a edit finals in get both to it. I'll choose to know something She did with her eyes So beautiful than a color local default empathy would return a chinna tunnel juice monoxide first right? um And that was quite beautiful. So I'm very proud that we credited her as she deserves it, there's no... No second thought! Generally, some actors have a streak. When they get back-to-back hits or blockbusters, they will have a small batch of minimum guarantee actors. You mentioned something like this in the middle of your stage show meeting

1:25:39 I wanted to ask you, if there is no minimum guarantee actor, it's okay. It will work out and make money Do you consider it as a compliment or do you feel that it should be worked upon? I want to be the maximum guarantee actor That's my thing But it doesn't come from a place of arrogance It comes from a place of... What does minimum mean? Because even when asked about any actor heartfully The work you do is not that good. So what's the minimum? There is a reduction in the word minimum itself, so there isn't any minimum. We want to try and make THE best film possible for the most number of people possible

CHAPTER 42 / 46 Discussion

Acting as Art, Not a Competition

The speaker reflects on acting, emphasizing that it's an art form, not a race for recognition, and expresses gratitude for the opportunities they've received in the industry.

acting· art· competition· opportunity· Chris Rock

1:25:39 I wanted to ask you, if there is no minimum guarantee actor, it's okay. It will work out and make money Do you consider it as a compliment or do you feel that it should be worked upon? I want to be the maximum guarantee actor That's my thing But it doesn't come from a place of arrogance It comes from a place of... What does minimum mean? Because even when asked about any actor heartfully The work you do is not that good. So what's the minimum? There is a reduction in the word minimum itself, so there isn't any minimum. We want to try and make THE best film possible for the most number of people possible

1:26:26 You said earlier, if you get 100 scripts in an industry and 95 of them are good, 3 out of 5 will be above average. I mean, the actors who have stardom or high budget movies. Something like that? You mentioned it. That's when it hit me... ...you found your place somehow on a sense level But what do you feel about this and where are we going to see you in future? I think even after saying those words, I've changed. Really? Yeah! I think it was the last leg of race between actor feeling. This is a lovely Chris Rock quote, when he hosted Oscars. He said acting is not running race why do they have best actors and best actress category? Does Robert De Niro slow down his acting so that Meryl Streep will catch up

1:27:27 So, why is it best actor and best actress? It should have the best performance. He was making a joke about it. In all this, I think art in itself is not a race. Right! And we get what we deserve. Today... Realized that... If I announce a movie today, producer's theatrical rights, OTT rights, audio rights overseas rights will be sold. How lucky am I! Very true, yeah. Absolutely Maybe there are 150 people in India 150 crore people among them Why am I thinking if i'm in 1 or 10 or 30? So it's just... That's narcissism In fact there was this actor I won't name him

CHAPTER 43 / 46 Discussion

Ego, Competition, and Measuring Success

The speaker discusses an encounter with a narcissistic actor and reflects on the futility of constantly comparing oneself to others, emphasizing that true success lies in the impact of one's work rather than box office numbers alone.

narcissism· competition· ego· success· box office· comparison· art

1:27:27 So, why is it best actor and best actress? It should have the best performance. He was making a joke about it. In all this, I think art in itself is not a race. Right! And we get what we deserve. Today... Realized that... If I announce a movie today, producer's theatrical rights, OTT rights, audio rights overseas rights will be sold. How lucky am I! Very true, yeah. Absolutely Maybe there are 150 people in India 150 crore people among them Why am I thinking if i'm in 1 or 10 or 30? So it's just... That's narcissism In fact there was this actor I won't name him

1:28:33 But I met him at my producer's birthday. So, Sesh when are you making a film as big as mine? In Telugu... I said in Telugu, if she says what he said, you will know who it is. That is why I said it in English with paraphrasing translation. I thought, you are so smart! It was still like a measuring contest. Like me or you and this came to me If you want to be the best of all young heroes, there are 6 big ones. If you want to be better than them, there is Rajinikanth and Chiranjeevi. If you want to be better than them, King Khan is here. And if you want to be better than him, Tom Cruise is here! And soon, somewhere in Mars or somewhere else, they will be lying around. So I just mean like... What are you trying to compete against? Nice You only try to appease your ego For whom?

1:29:37 And the funny thing is, I got it in my flow. I didn't even plan for this. We did a press meet on film event wrap and required wrap. Okay! And I said nobody remembers how much Maya Bazaar collected? How much Sholay collected And as usual, some people immediately said that you are making a big deal out of it. Okay I get it! You hid your phone and tweeted about it. But the real purpose behind this is to show how many people like my work more than what I earn. That's my attempt at it. And the surefire metric for that is box office collection. Even if I am showing a box office collection poster It's not because

1:30:28 You know, it's not that. I'm just trying to get as an artist as many people as possible... Right! ...to love my art. That is really what it is and you know, I am just looking forward. We'll see what happens. But among such actors or producers who showed that on face comparison, did they ever feel like, I don't belong in this place? No because some of them might have NRIs bro The film industry is so humbling. We NRIs change everything as soon as we step into it with a smile on our face and say, here's how you make movies!

CHAPTER 44 / 46 Discussion

Brunal's Unique Background and Passion for Cinema

The speaker discusses Brunal's diverse background, including his Fiji origins, family history as laborers, and his unique blend of languages, highlighting his passion for cinema that led him to move to a new country despite it not making business sense.

Brunal· Fiji· cinema· languages· passion· background

1:32:08 2%, 3% 7% 10% success ratio. We knew that and we got down to it, we went back with passion again and came here. Like now Shanil my friend who directed Dacoit, he said I am doing it for a moment and became the DOP in India. He did Gudachari as the DOP. Oh so you are the same for all three movies? And then one day he told me i want to direct The moment I said, I don't know Hindi. You won't understand it either. What's the situation? That is when this organic came in. There is so much about Decode that is authentic because... Sir, we can mix Hindi and Telugu. So if there was a proper dialogue heavy scene, first they would do it in Hindi. They would look at what he wants to say.

1:32:54 Then I would try one in Telugu and he would try another. Brunal has the ability to balance two languages. So, like all of that was happening because there is a certain amount of impractical madness. He was born in Fiji bro! They are not... Not a batch born and bred in India. Indians only, but 300-400 years back Britishers took them as slaves. Oh! Slaves and laborers. They took them like that to work on sugarcane plantations. After 3 or 4 hundred years their family moved from Fiji to the US

1:33:32 We were friends in the US. Where did you get this from? And their language was Bhojpuri-Telugu-Tamil mix, bro! He said he'd eat drumstick. I asked him what's a drumstick and he said he'll eat it. So... He has moved to a country that he has never been to because he loves cinema. Amazing As business model it doesn't make sense. That is why if someone comes If I talk in the form of a startup, or if I do it according to data analytics, I get tuned off. Because this doesn't make sense! So you are trying to make some sense out something that doesn't make sense And I sincerely feel that is why many times corporates fail in India. In India, I mean film business. Another thing I have seen generally

CHAPTER 45 / 46 Discussion

Phone Usage, Priorities, and Filmmaking Intentions

The speaker discusses realizing excessive phone usage, prioritizing meaningful connections like family and pets, and how this philosophy influences their filmmaking, despite personal struggles with routine.

phone usage· priorities· family· filmmaking· intention

1:34:26 I am not able to sleep these days. Not gazing First, I'll sleep and then do the gazing. Why did you do it while he was doing? It was something that I read on Instagram. Okay! It was that... You know..I was averaging about 5 hours a day on the phone. And that's too much. Too much. What I realized is that from my driver to everyone else, they are all going for 11-12 hours. Half your life is going on the phone. So, I realised that Do I really care about what's on it? I don't really. So what do I care about?

1:35:15 I want to know bubbles my doggy how his face looks. How did he change his face? How did the hair on his face change, I'm interested because that makes a difference to me absolutely. Everyday morning before leaving home, I look at my parents' faces and ask them what are you scanning for? They're here now right? So it all comes from that wanting I am not supposed to live my life, but have to live it. That's the idea behind this film and i'm terrible at it. I don't have a personal life, rhythm or routine. Whether I wake up or run, I come back and fall down. But the intention is that. In your movies, you had action scenes or complete thriller type of scenes? I really liked those from Kshanam too. Today...I made sure I watched the climax of Kshanam. Oh! I loved it a lot

CHAPTER 46 / 46 Discussion

Integrating Action and Love in Filmmaking

The speaker discusses their approach to filmmaking, focusing on integrating action as a core element of a love story, drawing inspiration from classic Westerns and exploring how love can exist amidst violence and anger.

love story· action· violence· film· westerns

1:36:17 I like those. Suddenly, you came to this love story. Of course, I saw all the robbery and all that but why a love story? Are you breaking that pattern? Definitely! But also love has always been a big part of my film. For a moment, it was sitting on one love story in the entire movie. There is one failed love story in Gudachari and there's another failed love story in Major. You have a decade right? If you are destined to come out, in a love story. I'm sorry but yeah... First love. First love. The wounds from 19 years ago were unbearable. She got married on your birthday. Yes yes yes yes. Lucky later found out that she was actually getting married after one week of marriage. But still for 10 years she was feeling like it's her birthday and all. I thought why is there so much cruelty? But yeah sorry sir please. So Love was always an important part. But now when this love exists or not, there is action.

1:37:07 I felt, what if we tell a love story where the action is part of the love? The love is not part of something else. And... Because... I like what it makes you feel. Even I am in this process to find positivity and... You know, the world has become very violent bro! We are all very angry. So I thought, literally a movie that started like that in such anger and rage. What happens? And it was interesting to me because for me and Shanil, we both love good bad & ugly, fist full of dollars, Clint Eastwood movies, Cowboy films etc. In such a world when there are bullets all around you how does the love between two people happen? Between robberies! And they haven't met each other recently. 13 years ago there is a journey, 13 years ago there is a fracture

1:38:06 There is a certain anger on his side. How does that work? This robbery, it's like a series of robberies and how is it? Watch Decode on April 10th to find out! It was an amazing conversation On screen, I'm taking a promise. Let's sit together again sometime. Yeah! For another episode. I don't have enough time for that. Since we have flight in the morning and no sleep, so we're leaving it now. Generally once you come to office, you should do jail tour outside right? It has been many days since I came here bro. All my cousins were staying here. Is it? They shifted to US and stopped coming here. Come with me one more time. We'll sit. I will come home. Whichever house. For sure